Exit Exam for English 101

In order to receive a “D” or better in English 101, students must pass an exit writing exam before the end of the semester.  The exam requires a 450 word paper that summarizes and responds to a reading (an article or essay) according to a specific writing task. The weekend before the exam, students are given three readings to prepare.  The day of the exam, they have a choice of writing on one of three writing prompts, each based on one of the three readings.  Each prompt specifies an audience, a type of writing, and a purpose for the writing.

In order to take the exam, students must have a photo ID, and they must sign up with their instructors for an exam time.

Students will have two opportunities to pass the exit exam.  Exams are read by at least two writing instructors.  If they do not agree on a pass or fail, a third instructor will read the exam.  Instructors will not read their own students’ exams.

To help students prepare for the exam, the papers that are required in English 101 emphasize audience, purpose, and argument.  In addition, students practice summary  and response writing.  Prior to the exam, students take a practice exit exam in class so that they will have an experience similar to the actual exam.  Additional practice is available through the Writer Rooms and the Exit Exam Workshop.

An example of exit exam instructions and a sample prompt follow.  The wording of directions may be revised, but students will be given the exact wording prior to the exam each semester.

Exit Exam Directions and Reminders
GENERAL DIRECTIONS: Choose one prompt only.  Be sure to accomplish the writing task given in the prompt.  Your summary should be one paragraph (approximately 150 words), and your response should be at least two paragraphs (approximately 300 words, not including a conclusion).  Total word count before the conclusion should be 450 words.  Please write the word count at the end of your paper.

REMINDERS: As you write your summary, remember that you should be using your words, not the writer’s.  If you quote the writer, use quotation marks.  Your response should do more than simply repeat the article.  In general, personal experience is a good way to develop your response.  Use transitions between paragraphs so that your essay reads as an integrated whole.

Here is an example of the kind of prompt that you might find on an exit exam.  The reading is from the English 101 textbook, St. Martin’s Guide to Writing. 

Prompt: “Sticks and Stones and Sports Team Names” by Richard Estrada: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, summarizing Estrada’s article in one paragraph (approximately 150 words) and responding to it in at least two paragraphs (approximately 300 words) by agreeing or disagreeing with Estrada’s thesis.
 
Exit Exam Evaluation Criteria
Your Exit Exam should meet the criteria that are listed on this paper. If your writing does not meet the criteria established for any one area, you will fail the Exit Examination. If your paper is weak in two or more areas, you will fail the Exit Exam.

Prompt/Writing Task
The summary part of your paper should be one paragraph, approximately 1/3 of your paper (150 words); be in your own words, not a series of quotes from the article; accurately represent what the writer says; state the author's thesis and main supporting points; not retell stories or illustrations used by the author.

Helpful Hint:
A good way to begin your summary is with a sentence like this: In "The Truth about Education," Clarence Page argues that [state Page's thesis] The response part of your paper should be two paragraphs, approximately 2/3 of your paper (300 words) acknowledge the writing situation--audience and purpose described in the prompt.

Focus
Your response should have a central idea that reflects the task you were given in the prompt and that unifies your paper.

Development
Your two paragraph response should develop the position/recommendation which you have identified as your focus; not repeat the illustrations, examples, main ideas of the author; not include a conclusion--a conclusion would be in addition to the two paragraphs; elaborate/expand your focus and/or the author's ideas through discussions and examples; reflect mature, college-level thinking.

Helpful Hint:
One of the best ways to develop your response is by using personal experience.

Organization
Your paper should be arranged in a logical way; have coherent paragraphs, achieved through the use of transitions and stylistically appropriate sentences, consistent tense and pronoun usage.

Helpful Hint:
Beginning each sentence of your summary with "the author says" is unnecessary and  interferes with the coherence of your paper.

Surface Errors
Your paper should demonstrate competency with grammar, sentence boundaries, spelling and punctuation.

More than three major surface errors will result in a failing grade on your exam.  Excessive typos or punctuation error that interfere with the reading of your paper will result in a failing grade.

Helpful Hint:
Schedule your time so that you can use spell check or the dictionary and so that you can proofread carefully.  

English 101 Exit Exam Guidelines for Students